Month: July 2014
Andes Update
Hello All, I hope and trust that you all are doing well. Since our last blog post, we have left Puerto Lopez and tracked up to the Andes Mountains. In order to get us acclimated to the higher altitude, we stopped for an overnight stay in Quevedo. Upon reaching the Black Sheep Inn after a… Read More
Tagged with 2014 Seeds of Change
Ecology in Tirimbina Costa Rica
A couple of photos from a very rainy ecology lesson in the RAINforest!
Tagged with 2014 Costa Rica
Ethnobotany in Costa Rica
Today we enjoyed a very stimulating day of ethnobotany, where we learned about different rainforest plants that are connected to the Costa Rican culture, particularly for their medicinal use. We also had our first opportunity to see howler monkeys and celebrate Melissa’s birthday with a student-led flash mob and cake. We are about to leave… Read More
Tagged with 2014 Costa Rica
The Gran Canyon Hike
Fully decked out with rain boots, and walking sticks, we ventured deep into the Amazon on our longest, muddiest, most treacherous hike yet – the Gran Canyon hike. We started the hike around 9am and came back around 230pm. The first part of the hike was typical for the Amazon, steep and muddy, but it… Read More
Tagged with 2014 Sustaining the Amazon Gran Canyon Mondayacu
16 down, 7 to go
Hello hello, This is Sarah Wallock. I am from Santa Barbara, California. For the past couple days we have been hanging out by the beach in Puerto Lopez. Yesterday we spent the day at the Machalilla National Park and the day before we went to Isla De La Plata (the poorman’s Galapagos). Both were beautiful… Read More
Tagged with 2014 Seeds of Change
Costa Rica: Thoughts Along The Way…
Our students have been sharing their reflections on each day’s activities in our group journal. Each student has had the opportunity to share their thoughts and contribute to our communal memory piece. Here are a couple excerpts from some of their most recent entries… “I will never forget shelling, grinding and of course stuffing my… Read More
Tagged with 2014 Costa Rica
Off the Trail
Today the schedule was fairly straightforward. First we would head over to San Rafael falls, which is the largest waterfall in Ecuador. After that we would venture to the Magic Falls, which allows people to get as close as the wish to the giant waterfall. Afterwards we’d stop at El Chaco, a town on the… Read More
Tagged with 2014 Sustaining the Amazon cascada magica Cascada San Rafael
Hiking, Hydro and Hot Springs
Greetings from the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest. Over the last 2 days we’ve been exploring this remarkable region with a couple of short hikes to waterfalls, a refreshing afternoon at the Papallacta Hot Springs, and a guided visit of the 50 MW Quijos-Papallacta dam project. Here are some pictures to tell the story: Michael lending a… Read More
Tagged with 2014 Sustaining the Amazon baeza hot springs hydro papallacta
Some Photos from Orientation Day
Here are a couple more shots from today. Michael striking the ball in an afternoon soccer match:The group pausing at a scenic overlook while hiking:Connor working the video camera on a panning shot of Chiche CanyonHiking: Team building activities: We’re moving on to the town of Baeza after breakfast. The afternoon will include a visit… Read More
Tagged with 2014 Sustaining the Amazon chiche canyon tumbaco
Costa Rica – Update (Days 4-7): Rancho Mastatal
After arriving in Rancho Mastatal, we began the morning of Day 3 with a meet-and-greet with the interns of the permacultural center. The interns gave us an opportunity to cogitate the principles of sustainability. We then toured the ranch and discovered the ecological interrelationships between the human inhabitants, the agriculture, and the wildlife. Tim, the… Read More
Tagged with 2014 Costa Rica mastatal permaculture